Eyren Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 This weekend I bought two bantams to keep Angelica company, following the sad demise of her friend Mrs Miggins. The owner admitted one was a cross-breed and charged less for her, but claimed that the other was a partridge cochin (I assume he meant pekin and had been reading too many US bantam websites!). However she has no feathers on her legs and has much more prominent head plumage than any breed in my "Encyclopaedia of Chickens" (though her crest and little beard don't show too well in this photo): Her plumage is delicate shades of grey-brown, a bit like the cuckoo variety of pekin, but with partridge-style black lines down the centre of some feathers. I'm wondering if she's either a cross-breed herself or the "throwback" offspring of pekins who weren't as pure-bred as their owner thought? I don't mind if she's a cross, as she cost less than I paid for my Wyandotte banties, but I'm just curious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Im not sure TBH. But I wouldnt say their was any pekin in their at all, she is crested and bearded witch pekins are niether. And you say she has no leg fethers, and the whole body and tail are the wrong shape. Def a hybrid of some sort. But a very beautiful chicken, wonderfull chocolate colour really different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Yeah - to me she looks more like one of the Dutch or German "decorative" breeds, e.g. the Brabanter or the Owl Beard, but less exaggerated. She's a real sweetie, and has taken to the eglu like a duck to water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Here are some photos of my partridge pekin. They are not very clear but you can see that the feathers and stance are completely different to your girl. She is a lovely hen though whatever she is. Beautiful colouring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 she is a lovely bird - is she local??? More chookies - perhaps just one more chooky and I am just outside Cambridge!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 If it's my pekin that you are talking about, she is from Fritton Poultry on the way out towards Yarmouth. She is a sweetie and very friendly and easy going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 She looks like an Araucana cross to me http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens&breed=Araucana She's gorgeous xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 she is a lovely bird - is she local??? More chookies - perhaps just one more chooky and I am just outside Cambridge!!! She was from a private breeder/owner in Sible Hedingham (www.benshens.co.uk) - but his main interest these days seems to be Shamo game fowl, and he doesn't have any more bantams to sell at the moment. Jules suggested Happy Hens (www.hens4homes.co.uk) in Stebbing, just the other side of Saffron Walden - if I want some real pekins, I may try there, but they won't have any ready until the spring... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Very pretty. My little Barbu D'Uccle (or D'Anvers,I always get the 2 mixed up) is partridge coloured & has a beard like that - photos in the gallery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Hi Cinnamon Yes, I looked at photos of all the Dutch/Belgian breeds and I'm sure Nutmeg is a lot nearer in type to them. Well, whatever her parentage, she's very cute and a lovely colour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 She looks like an Araucana cross to me http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens&breed=Araucana She's gorgeous xx Thanks! I did think of Araucanas when I first saw the crest, but the pictures I saw online showed a variety without tail feathers (Ameraucana??). Well, we'll see if she lays blue eggs - the owner mentioned that Pepper was in lay but didn't say anything about Nutmeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Very pretty.My little Barbu D'Uccle (or D'Anvers,I always get the 2 mixed up) is partridge coloured & has a beard like that - photos in the gallery You beat me to it! I was just thinking that she looked like an araucana/d'uccle type of cross. She has an araucana type tail and long neck. I wonder if she'll lay blue eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 She's very cute, whatever she is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 She looks like an Araucana cross to me http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens&breed=Araucana She's gorgeous xx I know this is an old thread, but I couldn't resist posting this pic of a lavender Araucana bantam hen: I'm now pretty much convinced Nutmeg is half lavender Araucana, half something else - she's a lot more brown than lavender, so perhaps her mum was a gold partridge pekin, hence the owner's confusion? Pity she hasn't inherited the blue egg gene - her eggs are a pretty pinky beige, a bit like an American "Easter Egger" chicken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 The Hen House at Thorndon near Eye ( just off the Ipswich -Norwich road A140) has some bantams, they had pekins and polish and some other sorts that I can't remember. Their website is www.hen-house.co.uk. We got our Lavender pekin bantam and Columbian pekin bantam from there ( along with our Columbine who treats them like her chicks!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 My Wyandottes came from him - he's a bit eccentric, but the birds are lovely and all live in pleasant outdoor runs. Worth a visit just to see the amazing range of birds he breeds! My husband loved his hen houses, but thankfully we already had the eglu by then - since I'm going to be the one mucking them out, I want something easy to keep clean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Shes a gorgeous colour whatever she is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...